L 91 ] 



mical qualities and composition. It is not soluble 

 without decomposition in nitric acid. From the ex- 

 periments of Gehlen, it appears to consist of the ele- 

 ments of oil of turpentine, carbon, hydrogene and 

 oxygene, united to the elements of muriatic gas, 



chlorine and hydrogene. 



From the analogy of artificial to natural camphor, 



it does not appear improbable, that natural camphor 

 may be a secondary vegetable compound, consisting 

 of camphoric aciil and volatile oil. Camphor is used 

 medicinally, but it has no other application. 



15. Fixed oil is obtained by expression from seeds 

 and fruits ; the olive, the almond, linseed and rape- 

 seed afford the most common vegetable fixed oils. 

 The properties of fixed oils are well known. Their 

 specific gravity is less than that of water ; that of olive 

 and of rape-seed oil is 913; that of linseed and al- 

 mond oil 932 ; that of palm oil 968 ; that of walnut 

 and beech mast oil 923. Many of the fixed oils con- 

 geal at a lower temperature than that at which water 

 freezes. They all require for their evaporation a 

 higher temperature than that at which water boils. 

 The products of the combustion of oil are water, and 

 carbonic acid gas. 



From the experiments of Gay Lussac and Then- 

 ard, it appears that olive oil contains, in IOO parts, 

 Carbon - 77,213 



Oxygene 9,427 



Hydrogene - - 13,360 



This estimation is a near approximation to 1 1 pro* 

 portions of carbon, 20 hydrogene, and 1 oxygene* 



